Tradeology, the ITA Blog

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By James Sullivan, Deputy Assistant Secretary and performing the non-exclusive duties of the Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis

Last week, I had the privilege of participating in an Energy Investment and Infrastructure in Asia event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on the one-year anniversary of Asia EDGE. At this event, I joined U.S. government officials, the U.S. private sector, and foreign governments to discuss Asia EDGE and highlight the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) contribution to the U.S. government’s Indo-Pacific energy initiative.

What is Asia EDGE?

Launched in July 2018 as an initiative to support President Trump’s vision for the Indo-Pacific region, Asia EDGE (Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy) is a U.S. whole-of-government effort to grow sustainable and secure energy markets throughout the Indo-Pacific. Asia EDGE seeks to strengthen energy security, increase energy diversification and trade, and expand energy access.

How does ITA support Asia EDGE?

• Mobilize private sector investment: ITA coordinates interagency advocacy efforts on behalf of U.S. exporters competing against foreign firms for international public sector projects. With 57 active energy sector cases in the Indo-Pacific valued at $191.5 billion that total more than an estimated $171.6 billion in U.S. export content, these efforts seek to support hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs.
• Promote U.S. exports: ITA launched a data-driven series of events called “Access Asia” to connect commercial diplomats and policy experts throughout the region with U.S. companies in targeted sectors and cities. To date, the program has conducted events in more than 25 cities across the United States reaching over 1,000 new companies.
• Remove trade barriers: Througha Federal Register Notice, a private sector roundtable, and ITA-administered federal advisory committees, ITA is actively engaging the U.S. private sector to improve U.S. government understanding of private sector interests and programmatic and policy needs. ITA has incorporated feedback into its commercial diplomacy engagements to promote free, fair, and reciprocal trading relationships.
• Strengthen standards and best-value procurement practices: Because the development and use of standards is critical for U.S. companies doing business in the region, ITA established a Regional Standards Attaché in Jakarta, Indonesia, to pursue equal market access for U.S. companies in the region.

How can you get involved in ITA Asia EDGE programs?

• Join an Asia EDGE Energy Industry Working Group (EIWG): ITA’s Asia EDGE EIWG Network is the private sector participation mechanism for U.S. firms to connect to all Asia EDGE activities, inform U.S. government policy, and advance U.S. trade and investment goals.
• Send us your comments: As outlined in the Federal Register, ITA continues to seek individual comments from industry on government programs. These comments will use used to inform the catalyzation of U.S. private sector participation in commercial energy opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Leverage our services: ITA offers companies a full range of services to plan, assess, promote, and expand business in the Indo-Pacific. Companies can find assistance domestically in more than 100 U.S. offices nationwide and in 23 markets across the Indo-Pacific!
• Find us at an upcoming event: ITA goes where you go! Connect with ITA staff and foreign buyers to expand international sales by meeting with our team at global trade events in the United States and abroad:

Jul 30-31, 2019:          Coal Conference                                 New Delhi, India

Sep 15-18, 2019:         IAEA U.S. Trade Mission                 Vienna, Austria

Sep 17-19, 2019:         Gas Tech                                       Houston, Texas

Sep 23-26, 2019:        Solar Power International                      Salt Lake City, Utah

Oct 9-11, 2019:          LAGCOE 2019                             New Orleans, Louisiana

Oct 28-31, 2019:         Singapore Int’l Energy Week                     Singapore

Nov 4, 2019:               Indo-Pacific Business Forum                   Bangkok, Thailand

Nov 5-7, 2019:            Energy Storage NA                            San Diego, California

Nov 19-21, 2019:        PowerGen 2019                            New Orleans, Louisiana

Jan 28-30, 2020:         DistribuTECH International                      San Antonio, Texas

Mar 16-24, 2020:        Asia EDGE U.S. Trade Mission           Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand

For more information on ITA’s Asia EDGE programs contact AsiaEDGE@trade.gov.

Learn more today about ITA at www.trade.gov and www.export.gov!